2008 Aussie National Time Trial champion, Adam Hansen, has had a relatively quiet year in 2009, but don’t let that fool you. There’s plenty of racing to go before Lombardia. Adam recently spoke with Ed Hood about Grand Tours, Scotts, and Columbia’s penchant for winning.

PEZ: 2009 seems to have been low key for you.
Adam: Yeah, that’s half true, I think the timing was a bit wrong with how things turned out. I had a good start at the nationals and then the TDU was going perfect for me.

I did good work at the Tour of California but returning back and breaking my collar bone before the main races started, I missed a huge chunk of the season.

PEZ: Which performance are you most pleased with in 2009?
Adam: The Dauphine was good and also the Aussie nationals.

PEZ: Are you still living in the Czech Republic?
Adam: Still here and will be here ’til I finish my cycling, that’s for sure. Love this place!

PEZ: You were a ‘database software developer’ – are you still into all the cyber stuff ?
Adam: Always doing some coding – I love problem solving, Rubik’s cubes – and writing software is a favourite thing for me.

PEZ: Your third year with the squad – what are the biggest changes there have been?
Adam: Winning races really. Our team doesn’t stop winning and that’s a huge difference from when I started with the team. Also the support has turned more professional too.

PEZ: How are you finding the Scotts after two years on Giant?
Adam: Giants are one of the best bikes in the world; I was so happy with them, it surprised me. But the Scott, is just better in every way.

PEZ: I have to ask – the Aussie road race championships, what went wrong?
Adam: You tell me and we will both know! It will be different next year for sure.

PEZ: No Grand Tour for you this year, why not?
Adam: I’m down for the Vuelta, so I do get one in. Giro, I had a broken collarbone and Tour I was just not good enough.

PEZ: You rode a good Dauphine; I thought that would have got you a Tour ride?
Adam: So did I!

PEZ: Any comment on Garmin chasing down Big George on that Tour stage to deny him the jersey?
Adam: I don’t understand all this Garmin and Columbia-HTC stuff. I stay well out of it and don’t know why it always happens.

My grandma always said; “you play with fire, you get burnt,” maybe it was that, maybe it’s because Garmin makes mobiles and so do HTC, I don’t know.

PEZ: What did you ride when the Tour was on – do you feel ‘in a shadow’ racing when the Tour is taking place?
Adam: I didn’t do any racing – well one stage of Austria. I was sick as and I had to work that day too. I had an average heart rate of 175 the whole race; was not healthy at all.

But being told you’re going to the Tour and then not going is like a shot in the form gauge. I did a good Dauphine all ready for the Tour and to have good form and do no races is pretty bad for the rest of the season; but that’s just how things are sometimes.

PEZ: If you miss the Giro/Tour is it a plus, in terms of not doing too much, or do you feel you are falling behind because it’s not in your legs?
Adam: Nice question. I think it’s better to do Grandies and then recover. However, if you don’t get good recovery from them and go right back into racing I think its not the best solution.

But if I don’t do any Grandie this year then I will have a better understanding if it’s for the best, in regards to the other races and how I feel.

But last year doing the Giro and Tour in one season wasn’t too bad with the right program.

PEZ: What’s Cav like?
Adam: Read his book. Its all in there.

PEZ: Is it back to Aus for the winter?
Adam: Yeah but late as possible; I like to spend a bit of time home in CZ.

PEZ: 2010 – are you sorted with a contract, yet?
Adam: Yeap, Columbia-HTC.

PEZ: You’ve been second and third on the Aus road race podium – top step, this time?
Adam: That’s my main goal of the season for next year. But it for sure wont be easy!

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With thanks to Adam for his time and wishing him ‘all the best’ for the rest of 2009.